Smoke from Australia’s bushfires has travelled far beyond its origins. It crossed New Zealand and South America, and within days had drifted halfway around the globe. NASA predicted the smoke would complete a full circuit and arrive back where it started.
We humans breathe in oxygen—you probably knew this—and we breathe out carbon dioxide. In an enclosed space, it’s possible for carbon dioxide to build up in the air. Some research shows that meeting rooms and classrooms may be enclosed enough to reach mind-numbing carbon dioxide concentrations.
Your pets breathe the same air you do. If you’re putting on a mask and taking precautions against bush fire smoke this summer, you should be taking precautions for your pets as well.
If you live in a large city with traffic and cars, you're likely exposed to air pollution on a daily basis. That can have detrimental effects on your health, especially your lungs, and the surgical masks you often see in smoggy cities actually don't do a ton to protect you. Here's what to do instead.
Air pollution is a health problem in a lot of cities, but certain days are definitely worse than others. This interactive map lets you check always-up-to-date local air reports for cities all over the world.
